


Rё∀L

by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Gen, M/M, Non-KH3D compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-08
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2017-12-10 18:59:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/789138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover/pseuds/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I can't forgive you, but I trust you." He knew their second chance came with strings attached. When the time came, Neku left with no regrets. But as he re-enters the UG, he realizes the Truth of the Game and its Purpose in life and death. With old and new friends, and new enemies he'll have to break past deception, change reality, and leave the ash-colored days. Slight JoshNeku.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day ? - No Regrets, Changed Reality

**AN:** Hi everyone! The name's Kiri, and this... this is my first fanfic! What more, it will be a multi chapter story, and it will be somewhat hard for me to update very regularly. This is a TWEWY fanfiction that looks into what MIGHT have happened after Neku's three weeks in the Reaper's Game and what in the world Mr H might have talked to Joshua about in the Secret Ending. So with this, I give you the Prologue and Chapter 1!

**Disclaimer: I. DO. NOT. OWN. TWEWY. TWEWY and all its characters are the property of Square Enix! However any of the OCs that may appear during the story are mine to toy with!  
**

* * *

**DAY ?**

_I know I said I trusted you, even though I didn't forgive you yet._

_But I couldn't help but doubt that the second chance you gave us all came with no strings attached._

_Turns out I was right. There was a catch._

_When you approached me that day, I knew my time was up._

_I had to pay the price for the continuing existence of this city and its people, which I had come to love and cherish._

_I could have ignored you. But I didn't._

_The choice I made that day, I have no regrets._

_Why?_

_Because. You gave me a place to love. Friends who actually cared._

_That day? You gave me a new purpose. Power to protect all that I cherished._

_And the things that came after?_

_I came to understand the Truth of the Game, and its Purpose in life and death._

_I made friends with those who were once enemies, and allies beyond the borders of this city of Shibuya._

_I faced down new foes to protect my home. And you._

_I had no regrets making that particular decision._

_Why?_

_Trust your partner. No matter what you did, I still trusted you._

_You were my partner in the Game. Even now we're still partners._

_You knew me the best. And I truly appreciated it._

_Thank you for changing my life, and letting me into yours. My friend and partner._

_All in all, I have no regrets in every choice I that have made since that day._

_The day where the ending of one story was the beginning of a new one..._

**DAY END - No Regrets, Changed Reality**

* * *

Read and Review Please!


	2. Day 1-1 Long Dream

**Disclaimer: I. DO. NOT. OWN. TWEWY. TWEWY and all its characters are the property of Square Enix! However any of the OCs that may appear during the story are mine to toy with!**

* * *

**DAY 1-1**

**_Shibuya, Scramble Crossing to Hachiko Statue_   
**

The Scramble Crossing was as crowded as ever. The constant movement of people, their constant chatter, and the sound of the traffic lights changing.

Amongst the throngs of people, a shock of orange hair could be seen if you looked at it from the right place. Orange hair that belonged to a teenager named Sakuraba Neku, who was heading towards the Hachiko Statue.

As usual, Neku was dressed in his favourite brand of clothes, Jupiter of the Monkey, and listening to the music played from the white MP3 that hung around his neck through his purple headphones. Blocking out the sounds of the world, Neku had been reminiscing.

' _It's_ _been a whole month, huh... Since those three weeks in the Reaper's Game...'_ Neku thought, blue eyes looking at the advertisements that played on the 104 Building nearby.

To Neku, his perspective of Shibuya had changed when he first died. Playing a game where your existence was at stake, listening to the unique thoughts of people who went on with their lives while being unable to see you, learning how to trust, when he couldn't even trust himself and what he knew. And when he finally came back to life, his entire outlook pretty much changed, along with finally having friends. And during the past month, he enjoyed it, spending time with the few true friends he had.

' _A whole month that feels like a dream..._ _Too bad they couldn't spend time with me today... *Sigh*...'_

As he looked at his phone, Neku sat down at the Hachiko Statue, staring disappointed at the messages that were on the screen.

_Sorry Neku! Eri's new project has the both of us pretty busy this week, so we won't be able to meet this time... Forgive me? - Shiki_

_Phones, Rhyme n I won't be able to make it this time around. We're visiting family over in the next city. Sorry man... - Beat and Rhyme_

Getting frustrated, Neku mentally screamed, ' _It's on days like this that I feel that things never changed! Urrgh! And I was hoping that by seeing any of them it would help me forget about what happened this morning!'_

_*** Flashback *** _

"NEKU SAKURABA! Wake up and get dressed! We have visitors today and I will not have you looking like some commoner's brat, do you hear me?!" A loud, screeching voice echoed through... what looked like the interior of a mansion? reaching the ears of a still sleeping Neku.

One thing that no one knew about Neku was that he was an adopted child. He kept his original name and never officially took on his adoptive parents' surnames. The only reason they adopted him was to have an heir to the family, considering that the family was rich.

Groaning at the loud noise, Neku slowly got up, opening his eyes by just a small fraction to look around his room. His room was decorated like that of a typical rich kid's. Only thing is, Neku hated it. Hidden somewhere in the room were items that he had bought and kept hidden from his parents due to their dislike for whatever Neku took interest. CDs, a small speaker that he used sparingly, CAT branded products, the surprisingly large number of clothes that he obtained in the Reaper's Game and his most important item, a small bag containing all the Pins that he obtained from the Game, especially the yen and precious mineral pins that were often used in the purchasing of certain specialty items sold in the stores around Shibuya. All were kept in a large haversack that he hid in his wardrobe, his parents thinking it was empty.

However, he was immediately shaken out of his thoughts when a set of formal clothes was shoved right into his face. Jolting back in shock, he saw his adoptive mother glaring at him.

"Hurry and get dressed. They will be reaching soon and I want you to look presentable," she said icily, leaving almost no room for argument. Almost.

Getting up and heading to the bag where he kept his J of the M clothes, he got dressed and said in his most passive voice, "I'm going to Hachiko today, so I won't be getting in the way of your precious visitors, OK?"

And with that, he left the room with his "mother" fuming at him. But that was not the end of his bad morning. His adoptive father had overheard everything.

"You won't be going out today, boy. You will stay right here, in this house and act as a proper heir to our family," his 'father' growled out as he blocked Neku from entering the hallway. "It's bad enough that you aren't seen by the other families at all, people have started to think we lied about having a child!"

With that though, Neku turned around and rolled his eyes at them,"Well isn't that the truth? After all I'm not at all related to you by blood, I'm just an adopted brat!"

His 'mother' gasped at this, and his 'father', now completely red in anger, slapped him. "Apologise to us, NOW! And you are not to leave this house at all you hear me?!"

Holding his swelling cheek, he did the complete opposite. Deciding to make a run for it, he ran into his room, snatched his haversack, shoved his 'parents' out of the way and dashed right out of the house, with them screaming (or in his mother's case, screeching) at him to come back.

 _'Good thing I found that apartment last week...'_ Neku thought, planning on depositing his bag there before heading out to Hachiko to clear his head of an already bad morning.

_*** Flashback End*** _

_'It was because of them that I never had any friends,'_ Neku thought darkly. ' _I was already the odd one out in the orphanage because of my odd hair colour. They made it worse by isolating me, preventing me from making friends with any 'Commoners' and all those rich kids that tried to become friends with me were only in it for connections... Not true friendship... Stupid parents... I guess it's a good thing that Shiki, Beat and Rhyme try to make time for us to meet, even though they couldn't make it today.'_

Sighing loudly, Neku lowered the volume on his MP3 player and thought back to the one thing that had bothered him the most ever since he woke up in the middle of the Scramble Crossing after that final game.

_'I wonder why **he** revived us all? After all, _I lost that last game._ Why did **he** spare Shibuya? I trust **him** and all, but was there a catch?'_

Getting up, he said to himself, "Well, I don't think they're coming. Might as well head to the mural at Udagawa!"

But as he did this, he pushed the most unsettling thought to the back of his mind.

_Will I be the one to pay the price, to make sure Shibuya and its people continue existing?_

* * *

**_Udagawa Backstreets_ **

Neku just stood there, admiring CAT's, no Mr Hanekoma's, mural, the very thing that kept him going while living out routine days during the weeks before he died. Before he died in front of the very same mural.

 _'It's like that day, I finally awoke from a long dream, and truly saw the reality that was in front of me,'_ he thought, smiling sadly as he compared his current self to his old, emo, self. _'_ _I'm glad I met them during those weeks. They made me take notice of things I probably would've just gone on ignoring. Especially_ **_him_** _. He understood me the best. Although I still can't forgive him for killing me when I was already dead.'_

_Hehe..._

Neku blinked and looked around, and when he didn't find anyone, muttered to himself, " **He's** not here Neku. You're imagining things."

' _Speaking about **him** and Mr H, I h_ _aven't seen the two of them around, not even at the café,'_ he contemplated.

"You weren't imagining things, Neku dear~" Hearing the familiar smug voice, Neku froze, knowing that the voice belonged to **him**. At this the voice continued, "I'm guessing that the **him** you have been referring to is me? And as for where Sanae and I were, that's because we were quite busy~"

Gulping nervously, Neku slowly turned around. Sure enough, he saw a familiar face, one that matched the voice. Dressed in a simple grey button up blouse and blue jeans, grey eyes and a smirk adorned the face that was framed by ash blond hair. A name followed.

"Joshua."

"I take it you know why I'm here, Neku," Yoshiya Kiryu, or as he was more often known as, Joshua questioned, for once, serious about what he was asking.

With that, the one question Neku tried to bury at the back of his mind resurfaced.

_Will I be the one to pay the price, to make sure Shibuya and its people continue existing?_

_' _Time to accept the fate that came along when I lost that last game against Joshua then?'__

With that thought Neku took a deep breath, and said, voice devoid of any regret and hesitation:

"Well, I guess my time in this is up, then..."

**DAY 1-1 END: Long Dream, An Empty Everyday Life.**

* * *

**AN** : I hated typing the first chapter... I pretty much had to summarise a whole bunch of things that might have happened in between TWEWY and this fic.

The idea that Neku was adopted, I'll admit, it came from the story Guardian by Scrawlers. But I loved the idea too much! As for Neku's family life, I made it so that it was his adoptive parents, not wanting commoners in Neku's life, put him in a rich kid's school full of stuck up brats, and making it hard for him to make friends.

Also, Neku's apartment. It'll play an important role in the entire story, but only when it reaches the halfway point.

I'm going to ignore the presence of the TWEWY gang in KH3D, and say that that didn't take place in this universe.

Lastly, the chapter title. It's titled that way as in my interpretation, Neku's life in the RG was a long dream, while his time in the UG was his reality. His time in the RG, before the Reaper's Game, was an Empty Everyday Life. And what was his time in the UG then? Answer will be in the next chapter title. Guess where I got this chapter's title from? Chapter title from the prologue is related!

READ N REVIEW PLEASE!


	3. Day 1-2 Lift Our Eyes From The Screen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I ended up splitting the chapter in half! So the Day 1 is now in three parts!
> 
> Disclaimer: I. DO. NOT. OWN. TWEWY. TWEWY and all its characters are the property of Square Enix! However any of the OCs that may appear during the story are mine to toy with!

**DAY 1-2**

_"Well, I guess my time in this is up, then..."_

Hearing this come from Neku, Joshua smiled and gestured, “Will you walk with me for a bit Neku? I'll explain what the consequences of failing to win that last game with me entails on our way.”

Tucking his hands in his pockets, Neku sighed and followed Joshua out of the Udagawa Backstreet. Once they left the quiet district and into the more crowded street in front of Shibu-Q-Heads, Neku then asked, “So, why did you only wait till now to discuss this with me, Josh? And did you choose to confront me at the mural on purpose?”

Joshua gave a quiet chuckle in response, “As I said earlier, I was pretty busy dealing with the aftermath of our Game. As for the mural, though it was ironic, it was simply because I had a feeling you would be there.”

Silence lapsed between them once more at his response, the two quickly making their way through Tipsy Tose Hall and past AMX into the Centre Street Entrance. Joshua was the one to continue their conversation this time, “You don't have to worry about Shibuya being destroyed, you know.”

Neku looked up in surprise, “Eh?”

“Though you didn't win that last Game against me, I had already decided to give Shibuya a chance,” Joshua had a smile on his face as they walked through the throngs of people in the Scramble Crossing. “You're actions during your second week convinced me you know. That even someone like you, who was not able to trust at the beginning of the Game, is able to grow into your potential. Your final actions during our Game just cemented that fact.”

“How so? All I did was decide not to pull the trigger,” Neku frowned. It hurt him that Joshua had tried to force his hand.

“But that was it, Neku. If you pulled the trigger, it meant that you were not willing to look past my betrayal, were not willing to accept me back as a friend, not willing to _trust,_ ” Joshua said as the two walked past Hachiko Statue.

At the reminder of how he had been during the second day of the first week – _of how he nearly killed Shiki thanks to how unwilling he had been to trust anyone –_ Neku flinched,“Then that final Game was... a test of trust?”

“Trust was the key to winning the Reaper's Game,” Joshua gave the headphone wearing teen an approving look as he continued on, “And trust was a lesson you learnt over the three weeks in the Game. The last Game I initiated was a test hidden behind the showdown between us, to see how far you had grown. You passed that test even if you failed to win that Game.”

“Did you know I wouldn't pull the trigger?” Neku questioned, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“I hoped you would not,” Joshua gave a him knowing smile as the two reached the entrance of the Station Underpass, entering it before stopping at by one of the bikes.

Neku just groaned at the response, leaning against the fence, “So you knew I would lose that last Game.”

“Hmm... Something like that...” Joshua hummed.

“... Joshua?”

“Yes, dear?”

That smirk on the Composer's face was not reassuring at all for Neku when he finally asked, “What... exactly did you plan for me when I lost?”

“To be my Conductor.”

Neku's head snapped to the side as he turned to look at the Composer, who simply gave him an innocent look, as if he never said what Neku thought he said. Taking a shuttering breath, Neku asked, “... Could you repeat that, Josh? I don't believe I heard you correctly.”

“I want you to be my Conductor, Neku. My right hand in the Games,” Joshua stated once more, eyes full of mirth as he watched Neku's expressions shift from blank, to shock, and to outright anger. Calmly placing his hands over his ears, he braced himself for Neku's outburst.

“ARE YOU CRAZY?!” Neku yelled.

Taking his hands off his ears, the blond gave the other an amused grin, “I'm surprised you didn't expect this to happen.”

“Of course I didn't expect this! I was thinking you were going to erase me from everyone's memories as punishment, Josh, not have me work in the UG!” Neku hissed his displeasure. “Besides, I was the one who erased almost all your commanders! None of your Reapers would ever accept me in a position higher than them on such short notice!”

“And that brings us to my point,” Joshua stated, causing Neku to pause and glare at him, prompting him to quickly explain. “You erased my previous Conductor. One who ended up causing more damage to Shibuya even though he did have good intentions. So in actuality, I owe you for saving Shibuya before it could have descended into further madness and forced me to erase it off the map.”

“But why give me the position of Conductor?” Neku asked, his anger slowly dissipating. The other did have a point about the previous Conductor having caused more problems for Shibuya.

“It's both a penalty game and a reward. You won't be inducted into your position till you learn more about the Reaper's Game though,” Joshua shrugged, “That friend of your's, Daisukenojo Bito is it? He wasn't exactly with us long enough to know its purpose and learn the roles of a Reaper properly. So learning about the Game is punishment enough.”

Looking at the entrance to Shibuya River and back at Neku, Joshua said, “I'm going to give you one chance to back out of this, Neku. You can either accept my offer to become my Conductor, or...”

“Or?” Neku's eyes narrowed.

“I will do like you suggested, and erase you from the memories of everyone around you. You will keep your memories, but you'll have to reforge your relationships from the beginning,” Joshua shrugged.

Realizing that the other option would never be a choice he would take in the first place, Neku gave a defeated sigh, “... You really enjoy driving me into a corner don't you.”

“I'm sorry?” Joshua tilted his head to the side, not understanding.

“As if I'd let you erase the memories of my friends! You forgot that you are my friend as well, idiot,”Neku looked at him in the eye, a determined smile on his face.

“... Ha... So I did,” Joshua blinked, before giving a wiry grin, realizing that Neku had actually admitted that they were friends, though he doubted the other actually noticed the magnitude of what he said yet. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Joshua asked, “So you accept then?”

“Yeah. I accept the position,” Neku sighed, rubbing the back of his head in minor frustration over his new situation. It was not something he expected, but Neku knew that at least this way he got to remain with his friends on some level.

Smiling at the response Joshua took out a pin and held it to the entrance of the River. Neku blinked in surprise as he recognised the pin as a Key Pin, and blinked once more when he heard the sound of chains rattling echo in his ears, drowning out even the sound of the trains moving above the Underpass.

Joshua then gestured to Neku to follow him, and the other soon fell in pace with the Composer, their footsteps and the sound to Shibuya River echoing down the Trail of the Sinner.

“So... how exactly am I learning about the Game? Are you going to teach me? Or is someone else doing so?” Neku asked, his voice echoing.

"Oh, that. You'll be working with some of the Reapers for the time being,” Joshua explained, “Sanae and I are still quite busy fixing up Shibuya's UG, so we aren't exactly always free to help you out. Delegating the newly deceased souls of Shibuya to other cities for their Reaper's Game takes most of our time too."

"Wait, the Reaper's Game is a common occurrence in the other cities?" Neku stared in surprise.

"Yup, all you've experienced is Shibuya's Game, and because of the mess that occurred during the three weeks you played, all the players have to be sent elsewhere for their Game."

“By mess, you mean the damage done by the Taboo Noise and Red Skull pins right?” Neku grimaced, “It was that bad?”

“Yup. And because you erased most of my Reapers on your last day, Sanae and I were also busy gathering up most of their souls and reviving them,” Joshua hummed.

Neku sighed in relief at that statement, causing Joshua to look at him, curious. Seeing the look, Neku explained, “You know how on the First Week, Players were delegated to helping Def March right?”

Joshua laughed, “I remember them. They were the ones looking for their mic during our week together!”

At the rather misleading statement, Neku shook his head before continuing, “Anyways, 777 also helped Beat and I out on the Third Week before getting himself erased by Konishi. I'm rather glad he's alive too.”

They never did noticed that they had walked through the Rubicon and onto the Trail of the Bygone. It was only when Neku saw the large door leading to the Death God's Pad soon looming over them, that he realised how much time had passed while they talked. Neku then broke the silence with what he knew was a rather silly question, but he was curious anyways, “Joshua? Did Mr Hanekoma and you name this room the Death God's Pad on purpose?”

Joshua giggled, “Why not? After all, 'Reapers' are technically Shinigami in by our nation's myths, and gods do need a place to come back to after all.”

With that Joshua gestured to the door and asked, “Work for you?”

Neku just laughed at the nostalgic statement as he placed his hands on the door to open it, grinning as he did, “What do you think?” 

**DAY 1-2 END: Lift Our Eyes From The Screen**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its taken me a long while to get to this point, coming close to two years since I last touched this fic. I apologies for taking so long to actually write this chapter out. Hopefully its satisfactory!
> 
> Anyways, chapter title explanation time. Lift Our Eyes From The Screen refers to taking a look at what is around you and ignoring the illusion/Breaking away from illusions. With reference to the previous chapter, Neku's life is empty everyday life. Everything is a routine. What this chapter title is saying is, when you finally take notice of the world around you, will you see a world where you made no contribution, where you were insignificant, or will it be one of hope, where you had made a difference. Neku has noticed the life he lived was empty, an illusion, a dream. He wants to make a difference. He has done it once before in the Reaper's Game, snapping out of the illusion and seeing the truths in front of him. 
> 
> Of course, he doesn't explicitly say this in this chapter. But him accepting the position as Conductor refers to him wishing to make a difference. And of course Joshua knows that.
> 
> Anyways, as usual leave a comment as you go!
> 
> Kiri Kaitou Clover


End file.
